American Whitewater, along with Lidds, Lotus, Watershed and other U.S. Freestyle Team sponsors are bringing whitewater Freestyle and some amazing regional treasures for auction at the newly-renovated, Zambra tapas restaurant in Asheville, NC.
A week at a Pawley’s Island beach house, an Impex composite sea kayak and locally-handcrafted furniture are just some of the amazing items to be offered while dining on sumptuous spanish delicacies and enjoying the renovated, spanish motif. This soiree is scheduled during the week of three Team Trials events held on neighboring rivers. Team hopefuls and volunteers from sponsoring companies will be greeting, serving, presenting and even washing dishes, to raise funds for team travel and accommodations this summer at the Freestyle World Championships in Sort, Spain.
Zambra owner Hector Diaz, also the proprietor of Asheville’s Salsa, one of the city’s ‘must visit’ list, will provide his legendary Spanish flair in the newly renovated tapas restaurant. Also featured will be a selection of wines from Northern Spain, the region that will play host to the paddlers this summer.
This event will also let guests get up to speed on the progress of the project to renovate the French Broad with a new playing wave and hole, planned to become a reality this year. Come hear about it!
Date : Monday, 2 April
Time : 5:30 – 8:30 pm
Tickets : $40 per person, $75 per couple, available through www.active.com
What is Freestyle Kayaking?
Freestyle kayaking is one of the fastest-growing sports today. It is currently second only to snowboarding. It involves a paddler “playing” in a river hydraulic (hole or wave), performing a routine of tricks and maneuvers in an allotted timeslot. The routine is judged and scored based on the degree of difficulty and the variety of moves. With the development of freestyle courses in urban areas and manmade riverparks, the sport of freestyle kayaking has become a popular option for high-energy outdoor enthusiasts and their families.
What is the US Freestyle Team?
The US Freestyle Team consists of 35 of the finest freestyle kayaking athletes from across the country. Donations to the team are tax-deductible, as the US Team is a registered 501c3 (non-profit). The team representing the US at the 2001 World Championships in Sort, Spain will be chosen in April 2001. This team is the elite of the freestyle sport. It includes women and men in a variety of classes.
How is the US Freestyle Team Chosen?
The team trials are a series of three events for NOWR (National Organization of Whitewater Rodeos) -registered pro athletes. The events will take place at Rock Island, TN (2 hours from Asheville) and on the Nolichucky River near Erwin, TN (1 hour north of Asheville).
What is World Championships all about?
The Worlds are held every 2 years and rotate to different countries around the world. After starting in Wales in 1991, they have been held in the US (Ocoee River, 1993), Augsburg, Germany (1995), on the Ottawa River, Canada (1997) and in Taupo, New Zealand. In the past, the US has led the way in the sport of freestyle kayaking. The team brought home the overall gold medal from Worlds in 1999. Other countries that will compete at Worlds are France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Japan, and Canada, just to name a few. Millions of see this event. Last year it was live video broadcasted via the Internet. In 2001 in Sort, we anticipate that millions of people worldwide will view the event and its results electronically.
Where is Sort, Spain?
Sort is located in the northern part of Spain, in the Pyrenees Mountains.
CONTACT:
Hugh Bailey
Lotus Designs
Tel 828/689-2470 (day)
Tel 828/298-8168 (night)
Fax 828/689-2521
hugh@lotusdesigns.com